Salt Lake City police say a demonstrator who was shot at the city's “No Kings” protest has died and that the bullet that killed him appears to have been fired by one of the demonstration's peacekeepers.

A man who was believed to be part of a peacekeeping team for the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City shot at a person who was brandishing a rifle at demonstrators, striking both the rifleman and a bystander who later died at the hospital, authorities said Sunday.

Police took the alleged rifleman, Arturo Gamboa, 24, into custody Saturday evening on a murder charge, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said at a Sunday news conference. The bystander was Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, a fashion designer from Samoa.

Detectives don’t yet know why Gamboa pulled out a rifle or ran from the peacekeepers, but they accused him of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death. The Associated Press did not immediately find an attorney listed for Gamboa or contact information for his family in public records.

  • Dempf@lemmy.zip
    0·
    11 days ago

    That’s what I thought at first, but the video doesn’t support Gamboa raising his rifle. Video is short, and I’m not saying I know the whole story. But another likely possibility in my mind, based on the video, is that Gamboa was attempting to legally open carry. In hindsight might not be the best thing to do at a protest, but it’s his legal right. For now I think it’s best not to jump to conclusions.

    Edit: video link https://imgur.com/a/z3J25EB

    • Monument@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      0·
      11 days ago

      What video?
      The traffic cam video? The detail on that is horrific. I would not attempt to create any theories from that.

      If there’s other video to support your statements, can you link it?

      I’d say that his actions were not legal or sanctioned. He had the rifle concealed in a carrying case, which he waited until he was middle of a crowd, whereupon he removed it, and regardless of whether or not his handling of the weapon met the legal definition of brandishing it, he still handled it in a manner that incited panic.
      If he wanted to open carry, he should have had the firearm openly carried the entire time he was at the protest (including his outside approach to it) and he should have never put his hands on the weapon.

        • Monument@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
          1·
          11 days ago

          Ah, I see. That is much clearer.

          The testimony given is that Gamboa had pulled out his weapon while hidden behind a barrier, and was in a firing position while running into the crowd is supported the video. At the very beginning of the video, it shows him walking, then running, while holding the weapon in his right hand.
          I guess if he ducked away to surreptitiously pull the weapon out, he should have… I don’t know, slung it, rather than held it, and responded to the folks who drew on him, rather than try to run into the crowd.
          I wouldn’t have stepped out of cover with my hands on it if that were the case. But also, if I were open carrying, I wouldn’t be wearing a ski mask.
          Nothing about his actions read proper to me.